Foldable stroller

ABSTRACT

A stroller having a novel frame geometry that provides a more direct structural tie between the front and the rear wheels. The two rear legs (bottom members) of the frame are disposed at a relatively small angle to the horizontal and remain close to that shallow angle as the stroller is folded, with all four wheels on the ground. The rear leg assembly is pivotally linked to the front leg assembly, so that the front leg assembly collapses onto the rear leg assembly when the stroller is folded. The front legs and the rear legs preferably have a similar profile so that they generally nest when folded. The front legs and the rear legs preferably have oval or oblong cross-sections, which enhances their vertical load strength.

[0001] This application claims the benefit of provisional applicationNo. 60/374,824, filed Apr. 24, 2002.

BACKGROUND

[0002] The present invention relates to strollers for children, inparticular strollers that are easily folded to a stored, compactconfiguration.

[0003] A well-designed stroller of this type should be sturdy andbalanced. It should afford the child passenger safe and comfortabletransport. The adult user should find the stroller easy to maneuver,easy to fold and unfold, and easy to handle when folded. It should havefeatures that make it versatile and convenient. And it should be simplein design, rugged and reliable. Foldable strollers are known thataddress some of these criteria. There is room for improvement, however,in all of these areas.

[0004] A typical folding stroller has wheels at four corners supportingan articulated frame that has two spaced front legs, two spaced rearlegs, a handle assembly, and fold latches that lock the frame in theerect (open) position and allow it to fold when the latches arereleased. When the stroller is open the front and rear legs typicallyare steeply angled with respect to the horizontal, with no lateralstiffening structure spanning the lower ends of the front and rear legson either side of the stroller. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,068,284 and6,155,740.

[0005] Fold latches for strollers are known which incorporate aplunger/spring arrangement that slides or tracks within a conventionalround tube. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,740. Other fold latches areknown which have latching components mounted externally of one or moreconventional round tubes. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,284. A foldlatch that can interface with tubing having a non-circular cross-sectionwould be advantageous.

[0006] Strollers are known which have compliant suspension componentsthat somewhat soften the ride for the occupant in the stroller seat.Typically these suspension components are mounted at the wheel locationsto lessen the transmission of vibration and harshness to the frame.Better isolation from vibrations associated with rough terrain isdesirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] According to one aspect, the invention is a stroller frame havingleft and right sides, each side comprising: an elongated bottom member;a front leg; a push arm; and a support strut. The bottom member has afront portion and a rear portion. The front leg is connected to thefront portion of the bottom member, and extends upwardly and rearwardlytherefrom, terminating in an upper end. The push arm has a lower end inproximity to the upper end of the front leg, and extends upwardly andrearwardly therefrom. The support strut is connected to and extendsupwardly from an intermediate portion of the bottom member, andterminates in an upper end in proximity to at least one of the upper endof the front leg and the lower end of the push arm.

[0008] According to another aspect, the invention is a stroller,foldable between an open position and a folded position, comprising aframe and front and rear wheels supporting the frame. The frame has leftand right sides, each side comprising: an elongated bottom member; afront leg; a push arm; a support strut, wherein the front leg, the pusharm, and the support strut pivot relative to each other when thestroller moves between the open position and the folded position. Thebottom member has a front portion in proximity to a front wheel, and arear portion in proximity to a rear wheel. The front leg is pivoted tothe front portion of the bottom member, extends upwardly and rearwardlytherefrom when the stroller is in the open position, and terminates inan upper end. The push arm has a lower end in proximity to the upper endof the front leg, and extends upwardly and rearwardly therefrom when thestroller is in the open position. The support strut is pivoted to anintermediate portion of the bottom member, extends upwardly therefromwhen the stroller is in the open position, and terminates in an upperend in proximity to at least one of the upper end of the front leg andthe lower end of the push arm.

[0009] The stroller thus has a novel frame geometry that provides a moredirect structural tie between the front and the rear wheels. Instead ofhaving the usual steeply inclined rear leg configuration, the two rearlegs (also referred to herein as bottom members) are disposed at a muchsmaller angle to the horizontal and remain close to that shallow angleas the stroller is folded, with all four wheels on the ground. The rearleg assembly is pivotally linked to the front leg assembly, so that thefront leg assembly collapses onto the rear leg assembly when thestroller is folded.

[0010] Preferably the front legs and the rear legs have a similarprofile so that they generally nest when folded. The front and the rearlegs preferably have oval or oblong cross-sections, which enhances theirvertical load strength.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0011] An embodiment that incorporates the best mode for carrying outthe invention is described in detail below, purely by way of example,with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

[0012]FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a stroller according to theinvention;

[0013]FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the stroller of FIG. 1;

[0014]FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the stroller;

[0015]FIG. 4 is a left side elevational view of the stroller;

[0016]FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the stroller frame;

[0017]FIG. 6 is a sectional view through a suspension assembly accordingto the invention taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 5;

[0018]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a frame latch according to theinvention;

[0019]FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the frame latch of FIG. 7;

[0020]FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the frame latch taken along line 9-9in FIG. 7;

[0021]FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 10-10in FIG. 9;

[0022] FIGS. 11-13 are side elevational views of the stroller shown indifferent folding stages;

[0023]FIG. 14 is a side elevational view of the stroller shown in afolded and upright storage configuration;

[0024]FIG. 15 is a sectional view of the child tray according to theinvention taken along line 15-15 in FIG. 2;

[0025]FIG. 16 is a left side elevational view of the child tray;

[0026] FIGS. 17-19 are vertical sectional perspective views through thechild tray and latch therefor taken progressively from left to right;

[0027]FIG. 20 is a sectional view through a support strut taken alongline 20-20 in FIG. 2, showing the child car seat adapter according tothe invention;

[0028]FIG. 21 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the car seatadapter;

[0029] FIGS. 22-25 are partial perspective views of a child car seat onthe stroller showing engagement by the car seat adapter;

[0030]FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a part of the accessory bridgeaccording to the invention;

[0031]FIG. 27 is a perspective view of another part of the accessorybridge;

[0032]FIG. 28 is a left side elevational view of the accessory bridge;

[0033]FIG. 29 is a bottom plan view of the rear portion of the stroller;

[0034]FIG. 30 is a perspective view of a modified basket framearrangement;

[0035]FIG. 31 is a side elevational view of a component of the basketframe arrangement of FIG. 30; and

[0036]FIG. 32 is a longitudinal sectional view through the component ofFIG. 31.

[0037] It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in itsapplication to the details of construction and the arrangement ofcomponents of the preferred embodiment described below and illustratedin the drawing figures. Those skilled in the art will recognize thatvarious modifications can be made without departing from the scope ofthe invention, which is defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Referring to FIG. 1, a stroller according the invention comprisesa wheeled, foldable frame 100 that supports an adjustable child seat 10,a footrest 20, a parent console 30, a child tray 300 and an accessorybridge 500. The frame components preferably are made of tubularaluminum, but steel or other materials may be used provided they affordsufficient strength and rigidity. A basket (not shown) may also besupported on the frame, below the seat 10, as discussed below. Framefold latches 200 lock the frame in its open position, and selectivelyallow it to be folded to a closed, compact configuration. Canopy supportbars 42, 44 are adjustably attached to pivots 40 on the fold latches.For the sake of clarity, none of the soft goods associated with thestroller (e.g., canopy, seat cushions, basket) is shown in the figures.

[0039] Frame, Suspension and Basket

[0040] Referring to FIGS. 1-5, the stroller frame 100 comprises a frontleg assembly 110, a rear leg assembly 130, side support struts 150 and aU-shaped handle 180. Fold latches 200 at each side of the framepivotally link together the front leg assembly 110, the support struts150 and the handle 180, as described below.

[0041] The front leg assembly 110 comprises left and right tubular frontlegs 112. The front legs are rigidly interconnected, e.g., by welding,by a lower front cross-tube 114 and an intermediate cross-tube 116 (seeFIG. 5). A clevis-type hinge bracket 118 is riveted to the lower part ofeach front leg 112 to provide hinge points 120 for the rear leg assembly130. The lower end 111 of each front leg 112 necks down and is joined,e.g., by riveting or welding, to a vertical spindle 122. A duplex caster124 is mounted to each spindle 122 in a conventional manner.Alternatively, the casters 124 could be mounted on spindles that arefixed to the front portion of the rear leg assembly. The upper end ofeach front leg necks down and is anchored to the upper part 202 of arespective fold latch 200 (see FIG. 7). The details of this anchorageare described below.

[0042] Rear leg assembly 130 comprises left and right tubular rear legs(bottom members) 132. These are rigidly interconnected at their rearends, e.g., by welding, by a rear cross-tube 134. The cross-tube servesas an axle support for rear wheels 136. The front ends of rear legs 132are riveted to hinge brackets 118 at hinge points 120, near the lowerends of front legs 112. This arrangement results in the rear legs beingdisposed at a shallow angle to the horizontal.

[0043] Front legs 112 and rear legs 132 preferably have cross-sectionsthat are oblong or oval, e.g., elliptical. Such sections have a strongersection modulus as compared to round tubing having the samecross-sectional area. This configuration enhances vertical loadstrength, which is especially important for the rear legs given theirshallow angle. It also gives the stroller frame profile a more robustappearance. It is also preferred that the front legs and the rear legsbe about the same length, so that they fold compactly onto each other(see FIGS. 12, 13).

[0044] The rear legs 132 preferably are bowed upwardly, i.e., convexside up, as depicted in the figures. An upwardly bowed leg providesgreater ground clearance between the front and the rear wheels than astraight leg. The upward bow facilitates the traverse of curbs and otherhigh obstacles. Although the front legs could be straight, theypreferably are curved, as depicted. When both the front legs and therear legs are curved, it is preferred that they be substantiallysimilar, i.e., have roughly the same curvature, as depicted, whichenables them to nest more compactly when folded (see FIGS. 12, 13).

[0045] The hinge arrangement 118, 120 that joins the front leg assemblyto the rear leg assembly places the front legs 112 in line with the rearlegs 132. Alternatively the leg assemblies could be configured andhinged such that the front legs and the rear legs are mountedside-by-side, rather than in line.

[0046] Each support strut 150 is in the form of a tubular memberpivotally connected (e.g., riveted) at its upper end 152 to the lowerpart 204 of fold latch 200, at pivot point 206 (see FIG. 7). The lowerend 154 of the support strut may be pivotally connected, e.g., by arivet 156 through holes 157, directly to its respective rear leg 132,but it is preferred to interpose a compliant suspension 160 that helpsto isolate the seat 10 from the ground and soften the ride over roughterrain. Irrespective of whether a suspension is used, the location ofthe pivotal connection point 158 on the rear leg 132 preferably ischosen such that the frame components fold together compactly. Thesupport struts 150, instead of being pivoted to the outboard faces ofthe legs 112, 132 as depicted in the figures, instead could be pivotedto the inboard faces of the legs 112, 132, or could be pivoted throughhinge brackets so that they are in line with the legs.

[0047] Referring to FIG. 6, the suspension 160 comprises a housing 162having an upper opening 163, slots 164, each surrounded by a shoulder166, an apertured mounting boss 168, and a rivet hole 170 aligned withboss 168. Support strut tube 150 fits slidably within housing 162. Ahelical compression spring 172 is located in the bottom of housing 162,and abuts the lower end of the strut tube 150. Rivet 156 passes throughhole 170 and mounting boss 168 to pivotally secure the housing 162 tothe rear leg 132. The lower end of the spring 172 can rest on rivet 156,as depicted, or it can rest on a lug or other protrusion within thehousing (not shown).

[0048] A rivet 174 passing through holes 157 in the strut tube and slots164 in the housing retains the strut tube 150 in the housing, and limitssuspension travel. The heads of the rivet 174 are surrounded by theshoulders 166, and the ends of the slots 164 define stops which limitmovement of the rivet 174 and, hence, the strut tube 150 relative tohousing 162. The spring rate is selected to allow spring 172 to compresssomewhat under normal loading and use conditions, preferably withoutquite reaching the limit of suspension travel. External ribs 176 on thehousing provide anchor points for a bellows-type cover 178 that keepsdirt and dust from entering the housing through the slots 164.

[0049] A U-shaped basket frame 102 is adapted to support a utilitybasket beneath the seat 10. The front ends 104 of the basket frame arepivotally attached to the rear legs at rivet points 105 (see FIG. 4).Each side leg 106 of the basket frame rests on a protrusion 153 on theinboard face of a respective support strut 150. When the stroller isfolded, the protrusions rotate downwardly with the support struts,moving along the basket frame legs 106 and allowing the basket frame todrop and nest between the front and rear leg assemblies.

[0050] An alternative basket frame arrangement, illustrated in FIGS.30-32, has a basket release mechanism that allows the user to drop thebasket frame (and its flexible basket) when the stroller is open toafford easier access to the interior of the basket. In this “easyaccess” arrangement, basket frame 602 is pivoted at its front ends 604to rear legs 132 as in the first embodiment. However, the side legs 606of this basket frame are more closely spaced, at least in the vicinityof support struts 150, so that the side legs themselves fit between theprotrusions 153 on support struts 150 and would drop below theprotrusions if not otherwise supported. Support for the side legs 606instead is provided by a sliding collar 610 on each side leg 606 at thelocation of the support strut 150. The sliding collars 610 are wideenough to substantially fill the spaces between the side legs 606 andthe support struts 150, so that the sliding collars themselves engagethe protrusions 153 and thus support the side legs 606.

[0051] Referring to FIGS. 31 and 32, sliding collar 610 is hollow andhas a longitudinal slot 612 on each side thereof. A rivet 614 fixed tothe side leg 606 passes through the slots 612 to guide and limitmovement of the collar. A compression spring 616 is captured between therivet 614 and the end of the collar 610 to bias the collar forwardly.The front end of the collar 610 has a ramped face 617. A curved seat 618on the bottom of the collar 610 engages the protrusion 153 on supportstrut 150 when the collar 610 is in its forward (first) position. A tab620 at the rear of collar 610 has a hole 622. A U-shaped wire handle 624engages holes 622 and extends to the rear of the stroller.

[0052] In operation, a rearward pull on handle 624 pulls sliding collars610 rearwardly to a second position in which their front ends clearprotrusions 153 (dashed line position shown in FIG. 31). This allows thebasket frame 602 to drop to an “open” position, affording easier accessto the interior of the soft basket (not shown). An upward pull on therear of basket frame 602 brings the ramped front faces 617 of collars610 into engagement with protrusions 153. This forces the collarsrearwardly until they clear the protrusions 153, at which point springs616 return them to their forward (first) positions, supported onprotrusions 153, with the basket frame 602 in a “closed” position.

[0053] Returning to FIGS. 1-5, U-shaped handle 180 is a hollow tubularmember, preferably of round cross-section, that comprises an upperhandgrip portion 182 and two push arms 184, each anchored to the lowerpart 204 of a respective fold latch 200 (see FIG. 7). The push armspreferably are about the same length as the front legs 112 and the rearlegs 132 so that they fold compactly onto each other (see FIGS. 12, 13).Concealed actuating cables extend from the latches 200 through the pusharms to the handgrip portion 182. Latch release (for folding) isaccomplished by twisting an actuator in the form of a rotatable grip186, which pulls the cables to release the latches, as described below.Details of the cable-operated, one-hand release mechanism are disclosedin commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,284, which is incorporated hereinby reference.

[0054] Referring to FIG. 7, the two parts 202, 204 of each fold latchare hinged together by a rivet along a pivot axis 208. On each side ofthe stroller, therefore, there is a foldable four-bar linkage consistingof front leg 112, rear leg 132, support strut 150, and the lower part204 of fold latch 200 (which has a length equal to the distance betweenpivot point 206 and pivot axis 208).

[0055] Each side of child tray 300 is supported on another foldablefour-bar linkage. Two of the links are the front leg 112 and the rearleg 132. The third link is a tube 103 (see FIGS. 1, 2) that is pivotedrelative to the front leg assembly at the location of intermediatecross-tube 116. FIG. 15 shows this arrangement at the right side of thestroller (the left side is similar). A plastic fairing 350 is attachedto tube 103 and has an arcuate notch 352 that receives intermediatecross-tube 116, whereby the fairing 350 together with the tube 108 canpivot about cross-tube 116. The fourth link is a curved flat link 107(see FIG. 4) that is pivoted at its lower end to rear leg 132 at rivetpoint 105, and at its upper end to the lower end of tube 103, at hole103 a (FIG. 15).

[0056] The side elevational view of FIG. 4 best illustrates the framegeometry in the fully open position. Folding of the stroller isprogressively illustrated in the side elevational views of FIGS. 11-13.(In all of these figures the canopy bars have been removed for the sakeof clarity.) When the fold latches 200 are released and the handle 180is rotated upwardly and forwardly (FIG. 11), the tops of the supportstruts 150 are rotated to the rear. This allows the frame to collapse(FIG. 12) all the way to a folded position (FIG. 13) in which the frontleg assembly 110 nests on the rear leg assembly 130, and the handleassembly 180 nests on the front leg assembly. The child tray 300 rotatesto the rear and nests between the push arms 184. The basket frame 102nests between the front and the rear leg assemblies.

[0057] Folding is simple and easy because the entire stroller drops tothe ground without the user having to control the weight of the strolleras it folds. Folding is accomplished with all four wheels on the groundand the rear legs remaining at close to their initial shallow angle.Unlike some prior art strollers, the seat 10 in the present strollerdoes not make contact with the ground as the stroller is folded. And itcan easily be stood upright for compact vertical storage, resting on therear wheels 136 and lower latch parts 204 (see FIG. 14).

[0058] Fold Latches

[0059] FIGS. 7-10 show details of the fold latches 200 and theirengagement with the front legs 112 and the push arms 184. The upper andlower latch parts 202, 204 are molded of plastic material, preferablynylon 6. One end of the upper latch part 202 is a pivot portion 210 witha rivet hole 212 aligned with pivot axis 208. Pivot portion 210 fitsbetween a pair of spaced flanges 205 on lower latch part 204. Flanges205 have aligned rivet holes 207 that are also aligned with pivot axis208.

[0060] Opposite pivot portion 210 is an anchor portion 214 having asocket 216 that generally closely conforms to the profile of the upperend 113 of front leg 112. As mentioned previously, the upper end of thefront leg necks down so that it fits within the fold latch. FIG. 10schematically illustrates the necked-down or “crushed” cross-section 115of the upper end 113 of the front leg, in which a longitudinal crease119 effectively folds the lower portion of the tube up into itself. Thussocket 216 narrows from an entry 218 with an oval cross-section thatmatches the full oval cross-section of the front leg, to a domed andflat-bottomed cross-section 220. A rivet hole 117 near the tip of thefront leg 112 receives the rivet 222 that joins the upper and lowerlatch parts together through holes 205, 212 and anchors the front leg inthe socket 216.

[0061] Beneath the entry 218 of socket 216 is a depending receiver 222having a mouth 224 with a lip 226. The lip and the mouth are adapted tocooperate with a retractable hollow plunger 230 housed in lower latchpart 204. The plunger preferably is molded of acetal resin, i.e.,polyoxymethylene, or “POM.” It is virtually completely shrouded by thelatch parts 202, 204 so as to be protected from dust and dirt.

[0062] The plunger 230 slides within a cavity 240, guided by the end ofthe push arm 184 that it surrounds. The push arm is anchored to lowerlatch part 204 by a rivet 242 through hole 185 (the same rivet thatpivotally connects the upper end 152 of support strut 150 at pivot point206). Rivet 242 passes through a pair of elongated slots 232 in thesides of plunger 230, serving to guide and limit movement of theplunger. A helical spring 244, captured between the proximal end 234 ofplunger 230 and a shoulder 246 in cavity 240, biases the plungeroutwardly, toward the receiver 222.

[0063] The distal end 235 of the plunger 230 has a sloped face 236 witha hole 238 and a notched cable-and-ball anchoring recess 239. Anactuating cable 248 extends through the handle from rotatable grip 186,as noted above. The cable extends through the interior of plunger 230and through hole 238, and has a ball end 250 anchored in recess 239.FIG. 9 shows the locked position of the fold latch, with the distal endof plunger 230 retained in mouth 224. When the grip 186 is rotated,cable 248 retracts plunger 230 until its distal end clears lip 226(i.e., to the dashed line position shown in FIG. 9). The handle 180,which includes push arm 184, then can be rotated counterclockwise asseen in FIG. 9, along with lower latch part 204, to fold the stroller.When the stroller is stored on end (see FIG. 14), the plunger is incontact with the ground but is pushed inwardly. The lower latch part 204and the wheels 136 thus bear virtually all the weight of the stroller inthis position.

[0064] When the stroller is to be opened from the folded position, pusharm 184 is rotated clockwise. When the distal end 235 of plunger 230meets lip 226, its sloped face 236 acts as a ramp to push the plungerfurther into the cavity 240, against the force of spring 244, as thepush arm is rotated. When the very tip of the plunger clears the lip226, the spring forces the plunger into the mouth 224 to lock the framein the open position.

[0065] Child Tray

[0066] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a molded plastic child tray 300 ispivotally attached at its right side (on the left as viewed in these twofigures) to a longitudinal tubular member 108 (part of right-hand tube103). Tray 300 thus can be rotated about a fore-and-aft axis so that itcan be pivoted upwardly for easier access to the seat 10. The dashedlines in FIG. 1 show this “open” tray position. The sectional view ofFIG. 15 shows this pivoting connection. Aligned apertures in the rearwall 302 of the tray and in depending webs 303, 304 surround member 108.A washer 305 also surrounds member 108, just inside rear wall 302, andpreferably is secured to rear wall 302. A spring-loaded snap button 306carried by member 108 retains the tray in position on the member. If thetray is to be removed, snap button 306 is depressed to allow the tray tobe slid off member 108.

[0067] The left side of the child tray 300 is releasably latched to asimilar longitudinal tubular member 109 (part of left-hand tube 103) atthe other side of the stroller. FIG. 16 shows in elevation the triggerportion 312 of the tray latch. FIG. 17 is a longitudinal sectional viewthrough the tray 300 immediately adjacent to the tray latch, and showsthat the trigger portion is part of a latch slide 310 carried by thetray and movable fore-and-aft relative thereto.

[0068]FIG. 18 is a longitudinal sectional view through the center of thelatch slide and the surrounding tray structure. The slide 310 has anupwardly open housing 314 defining an inner cavity 315. The bottom wall316 of the housing has two longitudinally spaced mounting slots 318.Hollow studs 320 on the underside of the tray are similarly spacedapart, and project into the cavity 315. Pan-head mounting screws 322pass through slots 318 to slidably secure the latch slide to studs 320.A coil spring 324 in cavity 315 engages stud 320 and the rear end ofhousing 314 to bias the latch slide 310 rearwardly (to the right as seenin FIG. 18). A forward pull on trigger 312 (to the left in FIG. 18)moves the latch slide against the pressure exerted by the spring 324.

[0069] A plastic collar 330 is riveted at 332 to frame-mounted member109. Collar 330 has two pairs of ramped studs 334 on opposite sides ofthe collar (only one pair is seen in FIG. 18; the other pair isdiametrically opposed to the illustrated pair). The rear portion oflatch slide 310 has a downwardly open socket 340 that embraces collar330. FIG. 19 is a longitudinal sectional view through the right pair oframped studs 334 at the surface of collar 330. This figure shows thatsocket 340 has two opposed pairs of ramped notches 344 that mate withramped studs 334.

[0070] The solid outline of latch slide 310 in FIG. 19 shows the slidein the unlatched (trigger-pulled) position, which allows the left sideof the tray 300 to be raised away from frame-mounted member 109. Thedashed outline of latch slide 310 shows the slide in thetrigger-released position. When the tray is down, as shown in thisfigure, the notches 344 engage the studs 334. When the tray is loweredfor latching from the open position with the trigger released, the ramps346 on the slide 310 ride over the ramps 335 on the studs 334, causingthe slide 310 to move forwardly (to the left as seen in FIG. 19) untilthey clear the studs, whereupon the slide 310 snaps rearwardly (to theright) under spring pressure to close the latch. Thus, simply pressingdown on the tray can close the latch.

[0071] Car Seat Adapter

[0072] One of the support struts 150 is provided with a mechanism 400for anchoring a child vehicle safety seat, particularly an infant seat,in position on the stroller seat 10. Referring to FIGS. 20 and 21,anchoring mechanism 400 comprises a molded plastic end cap 402 that fitsover support strut tube 150 and has a rivet hole 404 through whichmounting rivet 242 (FIG. 5) passes to pivotally attach support strut 150to latch part 204. Cap 402 also has an internal sleeve 406 with acentral bore 408 that receives a flexible tether 410. Sleeve 406 alsohas a seat 412 at its inner (distal) end surrounding the bore 408. Theinner end of tether 410 has a stop plug 414 with a seat 416. A helicalcompression spring 418 surrounds tether 410 and is captured betweenseats 412 and 416, thus biasing the tether to the retracted position.

[0073] The outer end of tether 410 has an enlarged head or knob 420. Theknob rests atop end cap 402 when the tether is retracted. Knob 420 isadapted to engage a vehicle safety seat placed on stroller seat 10. Itis optionally configured with an angled gusset 422 which is adapted tofit into the standard seat belt slot of the car seat so as to enhanceengagement with the car seat. The surface of the knob 420 preferably ismade of a non-slip material, such as TPE, to enhance frictionalengagement with the car seat. The knob also may be provided with achamfer 424 to facilitate grasping the knob.

[0074] FIGS. 22-25 sequentially illustrate how a car seat C with seatbelt slots S is anchored in the stroller. FIG. 22 shows the knob 420 (ina slightly modified form) in its retracted position atop cap 402. FIG.23 shows the knob 420 raised slightly (the user's hand, which would begrasping knob 420, is omitted for the sake of clarity). FIG. 24 showsthe tether 410 extended to the point where it passes through the seatbelt slot S, the knob 420 engaging the inside surface of the car seatadjacent the seat belt slot S. FIG. 25 is a view of the same engagementfrom the opposite side of the car seat.

[0075] The arrangement described above can accommodate a wide variety ofchild seats that have typical seat belt slots at their sides. Tether 410preferably is in the form of a plastic cable. However, the tether canalso be a wire cable or a cord made of a suitable material, such asnylon. Instead of using a compression spring, an extension spring may beused, with the inner end of the spring anchored within the support tube150. Instead of using a spring surrounding an inelastic cable, thetether can take the simpler form of an elastic cord (e.g., a “bungee”cord), the inner end of which is anchored within the support tube 150,e.g., to the inner end of an elongated sleeve 406. Although only oneanchoring mechanism is needed, it is possible to provide an anchoringmechanism in each support strut 150 for tethering both sides of thechild seat to the stroller.

[0076] Accessory Bridge

[0077] Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the gap between the handgrip portion 182of handle 180 and parent console 30 is filled by a useful accessorybridge 500, which can house a cell phone, a radio, keys, facial tissues,baby wipes, and/or other items. The accessory bridge is attached to boththe handgrip portion 182 and the top of parent console 30. Accessorybridge 500 consists of two molded plastic parts: a housing 510 (FIG.26), and a storage compartment 530 (FIG. 27). These two parts mate asshown in FIG. 28.

[0078] Referring to FIGS. 27 and 28, storage compartment 530 is in theform of a generally rectangular, open-top, tilt-out bin having a curvedbottom wall 532, a front wall 534, a rear wall 536 and side walls 538. Ahandle in the form of a pull tab 540 projects rearwardly from the upperedge of rear wall 536. The top edge of pull tab 540 has a protrusion 548that mates with a portion of housing 510, as described below. Two hinges542 project forwardly from the bottom of front wall 534. Each hinge hasnotches 544 that snap-fit over a hinge pin in housing 510, as describedbelow. A transparent oval window 546 optionally may be provided in frontwall 534.

[0079] Referring to FIG. 26, housing 510 comprises a generallyoval-shaped body portion 512 having a pair of arms with hooks 514 thatsnap over the handgrip portion 182 of handle 180, and a pair of T-shapedtabs 516 that engage mating slots 36 in parent console 30 (see FIG. 29).Installation of the housing on the stroller involves first engaging tabs516 with slots 36, and then snapping hooks 514 over fixed collars 183 onhandgrip portion 182. The rear face of body portion 510 has arectangular opening 518 (see FIG. 3) in which the front portion ofstorage compartment 530 fits, and an overhang 520 which overlies theupper end of the storage compartment when closed. Hinge pins 522 areformed in through-notches 524 at the lower portion of the front face ofthe storage compartment. The front face may also have an oval opening526 through which the contents in storage compartment 530 may be viewed.Alternatively, a pack of tissues or baby wipes may be installed in thehousing 510 so that the tissues or baby wipes can be dispensed throughopening 526.

[0080] The two parts of accessory bridge 500 are assembled as follows.The lower end of storage compartment 530 is inserted into the opening518 in the rear of housing 510 such that the hinges 542 project throughnotches 524 and snap over hinge pins 522 (see FIG. 28). Then the upperportion of storage compartment 530 is swung forwardly to its closedposition, with the overhang 520 overlying its upper end. The storagecompartment 530 is held in the closed positioned by at least oneprotrusion (not shown) on the underside of overhang 520 that resilientlymates with protrusion 548 on the storage compartment, thus acting as alatch. In the closed position there is sufficient space between thefront wall 534 of storage compartment 530 and the opening 526 in housing510 to accommodate a flat pack of tissues or baby wipes, as previouslydescribed.

[0081] The shape of the housing 510 is not limited to an oval. A housingof any shape and size that would fit in the space above the parentconsole 30 would be satisfactory from a utilitarian standpoint.Similarly, the opening 526 in the housing 510 and the window 546 in thestorage compartment 530 can take any shape. Additional compartments,slots or other discrete storage areas could be included in either thehousing 510 or the storage compartment 530. Instead of being attached tothe handgrip portion 182, the accessory bridge could be configured toattach to other portions of the handle 180. While molded plastic partsare preferred, the accessory bridge could be constructed of a metalframework that attaches to the handgrip and the parent console and issurrounded by soft storage pouches made of fabric or vinyl.Alternatively the accessory bridge could be constructed entirely of softmaterial and have straps that attach to the handgrip and the parentconsole.

[0082] The stroller disclosed herein thus provides enhanced utility andadvantages as compared to those of the prior art.

1. A stroller, foldable between an open position and a folded position,comprising a frame and front and rear wheels supporting the frame,wherein the frame has left and right sides, each side comprising: anelongated bottom member having a front portion in proximity to a frontwheel and a rear portion in proximity to a rear wheel; a front legpivoted to the front portion of the bottom member, extending upwardlyand rearwardly therefrom when the stroller is in the open position, andterminating in an upper end; a push arm having a lower end in proximityto the upper end of the front leg, and extending upwardly and rearwardlytherefrom when the stroller is in the open position; and a support strutpivoted to an intermediate portion of the bottom member, extendingupwardly therefrom when the stroller is in the open position, andterminating in an upper end in proximity to at least one of the upperend of the front leg and the lower end of the push arm, wherein thefront leg, the push arm, and the support strut pivot relative to eachother when the stroller moves between the open position and the foldedposition.
 2. A stroller according to claim 1, wherein the bottom memberhas a curved profile.
 3. A stroller according to claim 2, wherein thefront leg has a curved profile substantially similar to the profile ofthe bottom member.
 4. A stroller according to claim 3, wherein the frontleg has an oval cross-section.
 5. A stroller according to claim 4,wherein the bottom member has an oval cross-section.
 6. A strolleraccording to claim 3, wherein the bottom member is bowed upwardly.
 7. Astroller according to claim 2, wherein the bottom member is bowedupwardly.
 8. A stroller according to claim 7, wherein the bottom memberhas an oval cross-section.
 9. A stroller according to claim 1, whereinthe bottom member has an oval cross-section.
 10. A stroller according toclaim 1, wherein the front leg has a curved profile.
 11. A strolleraccording to claim 10, wherein the front leg has an oval cross-section.12. A stroller according to claim 1, wherein the front leg has an ovalcross-section.
 13. A stroller according to claim 1, wherein the framefurther comprises a rear cross-member interconnecting the rear portionsof the bottom members.
 14. A stroller according to claim 13, wherein theframe further comprises a lower front cross-member interconnecting lowerportions of the front legs.
 15. A stroller according to claim 14,wherein the frame further comprises an intermediate front cross-memberinterconnecting intermediate portions of the front legs.
 16. A strolleraccording to claim 1, comprising a front wheel mounted to the bottom ofeach front leg.
 17. A stroller according to claim 16, wherein the frontwheels can swivel.
 18. A stroller according to claim 17, wherein theframe further comprises a rear cross-member interconnecting the rearportions of the bottom members, and a rear wheel is mounted at each endof the rear cross-member.
 19. A stroller according to claim 1,comprising a front wheel at the bottom of each front leg, and a rearwheel at the rear portion of each bottom member.
 20. A strolleraccording to claim 19, wherein the front wheels can swivel.
 21. Astroller according to claim 1, further comprising a frame latchpivotally interconnecting the front leg, the push arm, and the supportstrut.
 22. A stroller according to claim 21, wherein the frame latchpivotally interconnects the push arm to the front leg and pivotallyinterconnects the support strut to the push arm at a location that isbeneath the front leg when the stroller is in the open position, wherebyforward rotation of the push arm causes the support strut and the frontleg to rotate rearwardly and downwardly relative to the bottom memberand into the folded position.
 23. A stroller frame having left and rightsides, each side comprising: an elongated bottom member having a frontportion and a rear portion; a front leg connected to the front portionof the bottom member, extending upwardly and rearwardly therefrom, andterminating in an upper end; a push arm having a lower end in proximityto the upper end of the front leg and extending upwardly and rearwardlytherefrom; and a support strut connected to and extending upwardly froman intermediate portion of the bottom member and terminating in an upperend in proximity to at least one of the upper end of the front leg andthe lower end of the push arm.
 24. A stroller frame according to claim23, wherein the bottom member has a curved profile and is bowedupwardly.
 25. A stroller according to claim 24, wherein the bottommember has an oval cross-section.
 26. A stroller according to claim 23,wherein the bottom member has an oval cross-section.
 27. A strolleraccording to claim 23, wherein the front leg has a curved profile.
 28. Astroller according to claim 27, wherein the front leg has an ovalcross-section.
 29. A stroller according to claim 23, wherein the frontleg has an oval cross-section.
 30. A stroller according to claim 23,further comprising a joint interconnecting the front leg, the push arm,and the support strut.